


Pompeii

by orphan_account



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Family, M/M, angstyish, break up with a happy ending, complicated relationship issues, friendship/romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-16
Packaged: 2018-11-28 07:08:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11412816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The two friends were healing, and that's the truth.They said they were happy. And they were.They said they could wait. And they did.They said that they forgave each other. And that was the intention.Of course, none knew they felt like that; even their own shadows didn't see that darkness.





	1. Begin Again

_Great. Now I'm going to be late_ , Lafayette thought to himself. He rushed to his next class, trying not to bump into others walking in the hallway. He knew he should've been wiser when it came to putting stuff in a locker during class exchange, but he couldn't help it; as soon he saw the photograph of himself and his ex—what a cruel English word, he thought—he had to go through the whole album, photos of them hanging out, having track together, ect. He missed those days already, and it hadn't even been two days!

His best friend was named Mulligan, and they were super close ever since they've met in 2nd grade. He also happened to be the ex. You see, they developed feelings towards each other and decided to officially date. It lasted for a good three months, which was much longer than Laf's previous relationship that happened many years ago. They were happy together. However, they constantly feared of their special bond breaking, and the fear of that resulted in resorting to anger, and they argued quite a lot. Mulligan didn't want either of them to say something terrible to the other, so he suggested it would be safer if they just broke up. Laf, though not convinced, agreed with it; he, again, didn't want to argue.

He sighed. _So this is what heartbreak feels like..._

-

"Hey, Laf!" Laurens called. "What's up?"

Lafayette smiled and sat down at the cafeteria table. "Bonjour, mon ami! I am doing well for someone who just failed that math test."

Laurens laughed, almost elbowing his carton of milk into Alex's lap. "Heh, yeah, I feel you." After a moment of silence and a quick glance exchange between Laurens and Alex, Laurens spoke up: "Er, we heard about...the break up...wanna talk about it?" Laf froze. He should've expected this. Laf and Mulligan always texted their fellow friends about everything, so why wouldn't Mulligan share this? The memories came back like an old wound being opened again...

Alex sighed. "Damn, I thought _I_ talked too much."

Laurens blushed. "Sorry! You don't have to—"

"No, no, it's okay, mon ami. You care about us, that's why you asked. I understand. As for how I feel...um, well..." Laf took a shaky breath, and Alex held his hand. "Hey, man, it's okay. If there's anything I know about Mulligan, it's that he's gonna want you back before they day is even—"

"Alex," Laurens scolded.

"What? It's true—"

"Guys!" Mulligan called. He sat down, taking his earplugs out. "Hi," he said, before giving Laf a shy, cautious look. Lafayette was now extremely confused.

"Um...we're just gonna...yeah..." Both Laurens and Alex got up to leave the two best friends alone.

Silence. One minute passed.

"Hey, Laf."

Laf realized he was greeting him. "Me? Me Laf? I mean—um! Duh!" Mulligan waited politely. "Oh, right! Hello, Mully."

Mulligan smirked. "Still calling me Mully?"

"Still calling me Laffy-Taffy?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then yeah." Both teens laughed. Mulligan spoke up: "I understand if you don't wanna, but....In Mrs. Rose's class, we're required to be partners. You wouldn't mind, right?"

Laf smiled. "Not at all, mon ami."

-

_Huh._

Laf couldn't help but smile to himself. He thought that the breakup would leave both of them in despair, but really, what Mulligan had promised was right; they'd still be friends, happy with each other. That's all that mattered, right?

_Hey, listen to me, Laf. I still love you. Okay? With all my heart. I promise. You know that. You know I can't hurt you. That's why I have to do this..._

Yes, it did hurt him that they no longer had _that_ special bond—romantically—but hey, they were still in love. _Right? Isn't that the case...._

And it was true. Laf _did_ love Mulligan. They knew everything about each other; they knew what the other was feeling and thinking. They had been with each other through the darkest points in both of their lives; they deeply cared about each other. So why was it all of a sudden just feeling like a memory? Like everything just started over completely? _Why did we have to fight?_

Then sadness came into his heart.

Words that have been spoken sometimes take years to find—they're the ones that can heal any heart, no matter condition. But some words come out after a second of rushed thinking—those are the ones that come quickly, just as quick and easy as it is to end a life.

_So why did we fight? We're better than that._

Yet here they are, facing the world. This time, they're not side-by-side. Laf forgot how it felt to be alone; he'd gotten so used to Mulligan—and of course, Alex and Laurens too. So he began to remember the first time he came into an English, American school:

_"Why do you talk like that?"_

_"Why do act so different?"_

_Different...different...strange....alone..._

_"Why are you even here? You don't belong."_

_"You'll never have friends."_

Mulligan changed that.

_"Shut up! He's just as good as you guys!"_

_Just as good...._

_"...in fact, maybe better. He's been friendly and has tolerated your imperfections, so why are you treating him less than human? Just because he's from a different place doesn't mean anything!"_

_"Hi, I'm Mulligan. Hercules Mulligan."_

_"Marquis de Lafayette. Nice to meet you."_

So Laf entered the classroom and turned to Mulligan. "'Just because he's from a different place doesn't mean anything,'" he had said. He held out his hand. "Hello...friend. I'm Lafayette. Marquis de Lafayette."

Mulligan smiled."Hercules Mulligan. Nice to meet you." And they shook hands again.

 

_**I honestly have no idea how often I'm going to update this yet but enjoy so far!** _


	2. My Forever Truths Are Told

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laf and Mulligan are forgiving each other but are also even more scared than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it's kind of short and sappy XD Again, though, everything I write is sappy so you're gonna have to get used to it :-)
> 
> And it is going to get more sadish so if that's what u want just hang on i got u

The two friends were healing, and that's the truth.

They said they were happy. And they were.

They said they could wait. And they did.

They said that they forgave each other. And that was the intention.

_How do you forgive someone who has broken your heart?_

_Or, more realistically, how do you forgive someone who has taken your heart, handled it with tender care, just to—and I mean this with the best intentions—hold it up to the sky, praise it, let the sun rain in warmth to it, just to accidently drop it, causing it to shatter and bleed like it has never felt that joy?_

Of course, none knew they felt like that; even their own shadows didn't see that darkness.

-

Laf knew his heart still had mending to do. But he knew it was healing, too.

He sat next to Mulligan, and they began to work on the project with each other. Damn, it was great. They worked together very well, dividing the work evenly, though sometimes they would surprise each other by doing the other's part, which led to delighted hearts. They caught up with each other, despite the fact that neither have been physically gone, really—or away in that sense. But they still joked, talked, played, did whatever they have been continuing to since the beginning of time, and it was natural... it felt good. The world seemed to stop, Laf noticed, whenever he talked to his friend, like nothing else mattered.

"I miss this," Laf whispered softly to Mulligan one day. They were outside Laf's house, working on the project. None seemed interested in it, though, yet they still remained surprisingly quiet.

"Miss what?" Mulligan asked, genuinely confused.

" _This_." Laf gestured to both of them. "Us."

Mulligan smiled sadly. "But—we do have us. This is us. We're—we're happy. Right? You're happy, Laf?" When Laf looked down, a tear ready to leave his eyes, that's when Mulligan got worried, leaving his hand on Laf's.

"Y-Yes, I am happy," Laf said, hugging his friend. "I'm happy. I'm with you. What else would I need?"

Mulligan hugged back. "Laf, I know you. I see that there's something wrong, but...you're telling me you're fine."

"Great." Laf sniffed. "I'm already lying to you. I mean, I don't think I am, but—I trust you."

Mulligan hadn't let go. "Why aren't we happy?"

There was a pause. "We are..."

"What?"

"We are happy. We're just...you know, scared." _Again._

Mulligan looked up into his friend's eyes, his amazing, bright eyes. "You.....I'm sorry."

"I am too. But I forgive both of us."

That was the first lie, but in all its glory, the first upcoming truth.


	3. City That We Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get more passionate than what they were going for but oh welll lmao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looking back on this, I probs should've added a lil more, but enjoy anyways XD
> 
> I'm going to be gone for a few days so I'm going to go ahead and post another chapter....or two, Idk.

The project was going great. It was supposed to take three weeks, and it was just some history lesson about Pompeii. Mulligan wasn't really interested in that stuff, but Laf found it exciting.

" _What?"_ Lafayette gasped one day while they were in Laf's room. "Not exciting!? It was a city of honor that got destroyed by a freaking volcano! What's not to love?"

Mulligan shrugged, listening to music instead of reading a history book. "It's just weird—who lives so close to a volcano anyways?"

Laf sighed, and plopped down onto his bed, where Mulligan was carelessly sitting too. "You just don't understand the beauty of history."

Mulligan stuck out his tongue.

"You're so damn childish, mon ami."

"Huh." Mulligan took the earplugs out. "But that's why you feel in love with me, right?"

Laf rolled his eyes, though he was internally blushing. "I fell in love with you, asshole, when you stood up for me in front of the class." He playfully hit Mulligan's shoulder.

"That was weak."

Laf gave him a half-hearted offended expression. "Weak? Marquis de Lafayette is not weak!"

"You're, like, a pencil with only slight muscles, you."

"THAT'S IT! FOR FRANCE!" Laf tackled Mulligan, and they both laughed, trying to shove each other off the bed. Eventually, Laf had his hands around Mulligan's neck, intentions to pretend-strangle him, but couldn't help but to pause, blushing, whenever he caught his friend staring at his lips.

"Um, sorry—" _This is wrong!_ They weren't dating anymore. They shouldn't be doing this.... _Right?_ Laf was going to apologize farther whenever Mulligan quickly grabbed his face and kissed him.

Laf was shocked, hesitant on his next move. He thought of pulling away, but _damn_ , it just felt too right. Besides, what would Mulligan think if he had pulled away? He'd be disappointed, or something. So Laf did what he thought his heart was telling him to do. He smiled against the other boy's lips and kissed back with the same gentle passion. Mulligan pulled away first, after about six seconds, Laf noted.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it." Mulligan chuckled.

Laf smiled. "I'm fine. I mean, that felt good. I mean—"

They both laughed.

"But, for future reference, we probably shouldn't do that until we are more...in that stage."

Laf chuckled. "Heh. Right."

The next day, Laurens and Alex texted them, wondering how their week with each other had been going. None decided to mention the way they felt like Pompeii, a city too close to dangerous heat, melting with the love the Earth had brought to them.


	4. Yeah, They Don't Know About Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> REGRETS AND RELATIONSHIPS
> 
> basically ;-;

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think after this is where it gets more sad
> 
> Also yes, my endings are sappy af in each chapter. All this over Pompeii, you ask? 
> 
>  
> 
> Yeah, kind of. XD
> 
>  
> 
> ALLSOOO next up is a long chapter and I'm going to post it on Friday, I think, so be prepared XD

_Vous ne leur avez pas dit, n'est-ce pas?_ "

_"_ _Pfft_ _, duh, why would I? They don't need to know we've been slightly_ _lovey_ _-ish."_

That's pretty much how it was like all the time when Laurens and Alex were involved. Yeah, they expected their two best friends to be in love again, but didn't feel like sharing that thought, just in case.

"So....are you sure you guys are just friends?" Laurens smirked.

"Yeah, you've guys have been blush-y lately." Alex smiled innocently, sharing a glance with Laurens.

Mulligan rolled his eyes. "You guys are weird." Though he didn't deny.

Truth was, they were falling for each other all over again. But they continued trying to be just friends.

Alas, sometimes no matter what, you can't force the relationship you want.

Sometimes there's no pushing love back. Because love does fight, and usually it'll win.

During the silence when working on their project, each would steal glances at the other—though it was Lafayette doing most of it—and blush, looking away (at first) when the other noticed. Then it became a game, and to win you had to A) Not get caught staring or B) Remain non-flustered when you did get caught, staring at the other's eyes until they blushed. Both won equally, and that sometimes meant playful arguing and, of course, rematches that distracted them from getting work done.

Mulligan realized he was falling for his ex all over again. He knew deep down he wanted that romantic relationship again, but was too afraid to ask or mention this Laf, which made him feel incredibly guilty; they were friends again. What's to hide?

Yet still they both tried to be friends, because God forbid something'll accidently slip, causing another stupid argument—one in which neither could come back from.

And, yet, Alex and Laurens were _still_ suspicious.

_Cmon_ _man I saw the way you looked at him the other day. That's hella gay. I should know. I'm the king of gayness like look @ me & Laurens._

Mulligan laughed and blushed, texting back: _Yeah okay just because Laf is hella cute and_ _Im_ _hella gay doesn't mean anything._ He meant it as a joke, though he knew it was true.

_Pfft_ _you're helpless, man. XD_

_Just keeping it real. But..._

_Yeah?_

_Do you really think he loves me like he has always loved me?_

_Uh, duh!!!!_ _Wth_ _? U guys are like?? BFFs??? He loves you. He texts Laurens & I this all the time. I told him I wasn't gonna tell ya, but...He misses you. A lot._

Mulligan sat down the phone, staring at those words before another came into his mind: _I trust you_ , and _Hello, friend..._ Things that he had said to Laf when they first met.

Whereas Lafayette couldn't help but to think: _Different, different, different...._ And it came into his mind everyday.

 _Yeah....They don't know about our city—our Pompeii. They don't know about us._  


	5. Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People try to mess w/ Laf and Mulligan is there to back him up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back, back again....
> 
> Yeah ik this isn't the best but I tried :^) More to come and I promise this should be over w/ soon and I won't just disappear randomly for like a week
> 
> sorry for any mistakes w/ either French or English lmao ,, I don't know French annnnd I didn't see any mistakes in English but then again I'm super tired this took forever to edit and rewrite...or type, whatever

As the days progressed, Lafayette found himself falling deeper into the trap of love Mulligan had set upon him. _Don't get me wrong,_ Laf thought to himself, _I always think about him...but this time it's once again in a way of a...crush._

 _Wow. I'm falling in love...again!?_ Yep. The feeling came back—the flustered feeling where he can't help but to blush whenever his friend does anything loving, from just saying Laf's name, making eye contact, smiling, ect.

And Mulligan does that a lot. 

Or the daydreaming-like state Laf constantly found himself in, thinking of none other than Mulligan, his dear friend who had very similar feelings—one in which rushed over him as well. And that happens a lot too.

He constantly remembered the kissing scene they had while arguing about Pompeii. It was beautiful. It was the first romantic thing they had done since the night of the breakup. The kiss had reminded him of everything they had been through, and it gave him a new feeling of hope.

Lafayette was called on during class whenever the teacher caught Laf doodling in his notebook. "Would you like to share that with the whole class?" Laf found Mulligan's gaze, blushed, and shook his head. He almost didn't realize he was simply writing his best friend's name over and over again. 

Although this odd yet sweet stage resulted in a detention pass for not paying attention in class, Laf knew 100% that he loved this joyful feeling again. And to think he was scared of starting over! Now the loving feelings were fresh...

I'm not scared anymore, Laf daringly thought. But he was, and he should've known that before he got himself in farther trouble.

-

Laf had forgotten his history book for Mr. Washington's class and had to run quickly to his locker. Really, that shouldn't have been allowed, but Mr. Washington was known for his relaxed, laidback attitude. Laf appreciated that, but, because they chose partners to discuss their essays with each other for feedback, the situation of running down the halls ruined his perfect excuse to hang out with Mulligan.

He quickly put in his combination and grabbed his books, thinking that'd be the end of it.

But it wasn't.

Before he could leave, someone shouted "Hey!" Laf turned to see four guys walking up to him. _That's weird, they weren't there a few seconds ago...._

The guys surrounded him, and Laf panicked. _Calm down, they can't do anything to you...._ Even though Laf wasmuch more taller than the four boys and was pretty strong, the sneers they wore were quite intimidating.

 _If Mulligan were here, he'd scare all these jerks,_ Laf thought, and that was true; Mulligan was a big person with strong (and attractive, Laf thought) muscles. 

"What do you want?" Laf asked, trying to keep his voice calm. He was thankful he was carrying his books, or else it would've been obvious that his hands were shaking.

One of the boys smirked cruelly. "Oh, we mean no harm." Laf seriously doubted that. "We were just thinkin'...You have those books right there. We need some too. Or else we get in trouble, and you don't want that to happen." Laf glanced to one of the boy's backpacks, and saw there very much was a book or two in there, the same history book Laf was holding. _They're lying! What do I do?_

"Well...I'd gladly give you the books, mon ami, but ah...They're the only ones I have. But never to fear! I'm sure the librarian has some you can use..." The boy shook his head. "Give it now, you Nazi!"

"I'm French....? Also, that's racist."

"And?"

Laf bit his tongue. Anger now boiled inside of him. Now he really wished Mulligan were there—last time Laf was discriminated, he had stood up for him. No one was here now, though, to back him up. _He just wants to pick on the weak...and Marquis de Lafayette is NOT weak!_

"No," Laf whispered.

"Huh?" another boy, much more bigger than the others, questioned.

"You heard me," Laf said, still calm, narrowing his eyes. "I said no. Do you need me to say it any clearer? I mean, I'm French and apparently I know better English than you." Okay, so maybe he was losing his cool...

"Shut up, you Barbarian! Just give us the damn book."

Laf clenched his jaw and was ready to turn around and run back to Mr. Washington's class where he was safe, but the first boy grabbed his shoulder, turning him around. "What? Gonna get your boyfriend to protect you?"

That made Laf stop dead in his tracks. "What—How—"

The big boy rolled his eyes. "Think we wouldn't notice?"

"How do you even know m—"

"Bet that bastard doesn't even love you. He did breakup with you after all."

Laf's heart stopped, blood running cold. He couldn't believe what he just heard...

"What—"

"YO!" A voice called from behind Lafayette.

Laf turned, eyes widening as he saw Mulligan speed walk to where the situation was taking place. He had a very unfamiliar look in his eyes—rage. Laf wasn't used to that look, and it was making him shiver in fear; he barely recognized his friend...and he couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Mulligan yelled, and Laf whimpered, at first thinking the comment was addressed towards him. "Answer me right now!" Mulligan now had his fists wrapped around the leader's collar, the boy gulping but keeping his glare.

"This lame excuse for a person wasn't being cooperative with us! We just wanted a book so we wouldn't get in trouble, is all."

Mulligan tightened his hold on the boy. "You have your own," he growled. "Leave him alone. He didn't do anything to you, moron."

"Make me."

Laf stepped back, though he narrowed his eyes. He wasn't afraid to start fighting this guy if he even tried to make a move.

Mulligan glared, pushing the boy away with so much force that he slammed into a locker. "Go away before this gets ugly."

"Whatever, Mulligan. Why do you even stand up for this weakling? I thought you hated hi—"

"Stop!" Mulligan yelled. "Marquis de Lafayette is not a weak person. He's one of the most bravest people I know, no questions asked. He's survived a lot, and his spirit never breaks. And unlike some people, he doesn't resort to violence. He stays true to himself. He is inspiring, strong, brave, and one million things you'll never be. I love him with all my heart..." He glanced at Laf, who had tears swelling up in his eyes, smiling tenderly.

A silent message of hope, love, and forgiveness passed between them. Mulligan returned the smile and continued: "We're always gonna be by each other's side. We're always gonna be best friends. We fully lived when we met each other, and we're gonna end with each other too."

The big boy sighed with exasperation. "Why the hell did you break up with him, then? He must be doing something wrong. Friends don't turn on each other like that."

Finally, Laf spoke: "Like you'd know about loyalty. I'm sure true friends wouldn't let you ruin your life by helping you skip class and mess with innocent people." He grabbed Mulligan's hand, who squeezed back.

"I broke up with Laf because I was scared our bond would be broken...but now I see that it's only going to grow, even if we're here, blind by our own wishes and needs." His voice was uncharacteristically quiet.

"I don't want to hurt him...that's why I made that decision. And..." Mulligan's words wouldn't come out, so he shook his head and told the boys to leave.

The gang glared, but obeyed Mulligan's wishes, scurrying away angrily.

Mulligan turned to Laf. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Laf smiled. "How are you not in trouble?"

Mulligan smiled with no real humor. "I asked Mr. Washington if I could use the bathroom. Truth is...I just needed you."

Laf blushed and took Mulligan's hands again. At first he though he'd mess up after Mulligan gave him a curious look, but Mulligan returned the gesture and smiled.

"I saw you facing those bastards and...I don't know...I could sense something was wrong. Besides, I heard part of the conversation." He winced.

"Oh, yeah?" Laf asked. "Which part?"

"When...when he was calling you a Barbarian...I knew I had to step in, but I was too shocked. But I hid. Behind a damn plant." Laf laughed at this, but stopped so Mulligan could continue: "I was pissed. No one messes with my best friend. Especially some asshole who can't even pull up his own pants."

"Why were they messing with me?"

There was a pause.

"Herc....?"

"I don't know, Laf," he said with a sigh. He leaned closer to Laf, brushing his face with his hands and letting their foreheads touch. "Just...promise me you'll be safe? And that next time you'll text me?"

Laf looked up into Mulligan's brown eyes, forced a smile, and nodded. He was aware of his speeding heartbeat and how close he was to his love. But he didn't move closer. Something told him that would be a mistake, though he was very much tempted.

Mulligan eventually pulled away. "We should go before we're caught. Bet Mr. Washington is already mad."

"He's very easy going." Laf's voice was still fragile.

"Yeah..." Mulligan sighed, and Lafayette didn't notice the longing look he gave him.

The two walked in silence to the classroom, wondering which parts of this day—if any—were honest, and which parts were an illusion.


	6. Was It Worth The Fight?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Maria Reynolds, the new student.
> 
> Aka Pompeii is kind of dying bc the volcano
> 
> if u get my analogy
> 
> ft. Alex/Laf bromance, w/ Laurens on the side
> 
> im evil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i think this chapter and the last was a Marina and the Diamonds reference
> 
> huh
> 
> wellll anyways this is a mess but i hope you somewhat enjoy it anyways heh

Days passed since the gang of boys had come up to Laf and threatened him. The two friends seemed to be slightly distant from each other—verbally—and instead began to concentrate more on touch to convey feelings. For an example, Mulligan became stressed that they still had paragraphs to finish on the essay about Pompeii and the essay was due in three days. Laf simply rubbed his hands gently down Mulligan's arms for a good minute before hugging him, nuzzling his neck.

Though Laf blushed at himself, he didn't regret it. Mulligan first tensed up, but relaxed at the kindness that was conveyed, as if his friends was giving him messages of support. He relaxed into the hug and wished he could just turn around and kiss Laf silly, but he knew he wouldn't dare mess up this moment. Laf was happy that he could see this rare side of him, where he's actually somewhat timid and gentle.

Simple gestures like that continued throughout their time together, and while working on the project they began to open up more, even letting out some of their thoughts and feelings about everything that has happened—though not all of it, such as all the times they both wished they could just melt into each other's presence.

However, the next series of events that felt like utter chaos and insanity were yet to come, and it all started with a note.

-

Laf had to snap to get Peggy's attention.

 The girl turned around, her black hair coming loose in her messy bun. He gestured to his note that he managed to write without Mr. Lee noticing, then pointed to Mulligan, sitting in the very front, about five seats away.

Peggy nodded in understanding and tapped her sister's shoulder when the teacher was preoccupied with scolding Thomas about something involving not taking his phone out during class. Angelica turned, at first confused. Then she quickly swiped the note, smiled innocently when Mr. Lee passed by, then kicked Laurens's leg to get his attention.

The line kept going until Madison passed the note to Thomas, who (after being told who it was to) smirked at Laf and fanned himself with the note winking.

 _Don't you dare!_ Laf mouthed.

 _Great, now he's going to get me in trouble!_ He looked at Thomas, pleading. The other teen just smiled even more slyly and grabbed the note by the ends, slowly beginning to rip it. Laf stood up, knocking over his water bottle. That got the teacher's attention.

"Laf, sit down!" Mr. Lee called. Even Thomas looked startled as he quickly hid the note, obviously not trying to let the teacher think he'd been the one passing notes.

Once again when Mr. Lee wasn't looking, Thomas was about to continue ripping the note with an agonizing slow pace, when Madison—aka his BFF—tapped him on the shoulder, saying something that looked like _Please._ Thomas's expression softened and obeyed, finally passing the note to Mulligan.

Laf sighed with relief. _I could never understand how Thomas doesn't listen to anyone, except when it comes to Madison. He melts his heart like butter every damn time_ , he thought, though grateful at this moment.

Mulligan gave Thomas a confused look. Thomas rolled his eyes and pointed to Laf, who waved and smiled like _Nothing to see here! Just me passing a note to you, aka my love!_ Mulligan opened the note, that read: **  
**

_Hey,_ _Mully_ _. Just wanted to know something...You see, I came across those idiots again. You know, the ones that called me names? Yeah, them. Um, I overheard their conversation. They were talking about, how, like, they were gonna get revenge and whatnot. They implied that they knew you personally, and that you knew them. Is that true? Please answer me back as soon as possible. XOXO, Laf._

In retrospect, adding "XOXO" to a note to your ex probably wasn't the best idea, but Laf panicked. He didn't want to sound shady or weird, and he thought the XOXO part would make Mulligan more willing to talk if the answer was slightly uncomfortable.

He could hope, anyways.

The note made its way back to Laf, and this time Thomas made no attempt to rip the letter or tell the teacher. The note reached Laf, and he read it:

_Laf, listen, that doesn't matter. We're safe now. Everything's fine. Just don't worry about it. We already have enough on our shoulders._

Laf found himself surprisingly getting frustrated back. He wrote down:

_Of course it matters! I know we're fine and I know we're going through a lot, but seriously—don't hide anything from me. How do you know them?_

Laf tapped Peggy again, and she passed the note before giving him a sympathetic look. "You okay?" she whispered. Laf assumed he looked upset. He nodded and mouthed _Thank you_ before turning back towards his paper, though he wasn't interested in it.

Laf realized it took Mulligan longer to respond. He saw Mulligan tapping his pencil—something he did when he was thinking hard about something. _Why is he being so hesitant?_ Laf felt his heart speed up with anxiety. _Did I do something wrong?_

_"Different, different, different...."_

The note came back, and Laf was so shocked he didn't realize Mr. Lee gave them permission to get with their partners to work on any project together. Mulligan shuffled to Laf, obviously knowing he was upset, tense to what could happen next. He waited at Laf's desk, waiting for his friend's reaction, keeping his eyes low. Laf glanced up, mouth hanging open with shock.

"H-How..."

"Heh....sorry?" Mulligan winced.

"How could you not tell me!?" Laf cried, voice cracking.

Mulligan's eyes widened. "Calm down, calm down. I was going to tell you, but..."

"But what? Don't you think I deserved the truth?"

"I—"

"Hello?" a voice asked. Mr. Lee smiled and clapped to get the class's attention. "Class, this is our new student."

The girl had long, curly red hair which matched her dark red lipstick and crop-top. She had on skinny jeans and flats, carrying a single notebook, a white purse slashed around her shoulder. On top of her head was a big, fancy hat that followed her red/black/white color patten.

"This is Maria. Maria Reynolds."

-

"You know, you guys didn't have to agree to work with me. I know newbies are lame and ish like that." She chuckled gently.

Maria sat across from Laf and Mulligan, chewing on gum, pushing her single notebook aside so they had room to write and look at research.

Mulligan smiled, though he seemed preoccupied. "It's no big deal. We're used to introducing lame newbies anyways." Maria laughed at that, fixing her black bracelet. "What's this project even on?" She paused, her eyes widening. "Wait! I forgot to properly introduce myself. Heh, sorry."

"No problem," Laf said.

She looked at him, shocked. "You're French?" His accent must have gave it away.

"Uh-huh." Laf smiled politely, though he was nervous she'd say something rude back.

"Oh, that's cool. I've visited France before. It was nice. Maybe sometime you can teach me French."

_She winked. She just fucking winked at me..._

Laf shoulder's tensed up, and Mulligan laughed awkwardly. "Heh, yeah, that would be fun..."

Silence.

"Well..." She fixed the strap of her purse. "I've got to use the bathroom real quick. Sorry! I'll introduce myself once I get back."

"No prob," Mulligan smiled.

Maria waved and smiled politely, then walked away. Mulligan turned to Laf, smirking.

"What?"

"How is it that you pick up girls so easily?"

Laf blushed and crossed his arms. "Stop distracting me. You still have some explaining to do."

 Mulligan was going to explain before he was cut off by Laf: "Also, agreeing to let someone else work with us? What the hell was that, man? First you drop a bombshell that you know the idiots that have been bullying me for my whole life, then you let someone else come along and mess up our lives more?" Laf knew he was being overdramatic, but he was stressed and worried. He didn't have much patience for anymore crap.

Mulligan was dangerously silent for a moment. "Maria hasn't messed up anything, Laf. Give her a chance, dude. She's new. Besides, she's not going to interfere with our friendship—"

"Mulligan, she was _flirting_ with me! Did you not see that? Don't you have an ounce of jealousy?"

Mulligan narrowed his eyes. "Laf, just because someone was flirting with you doesn't mean I have to get all territorial."

Laf rolled his eyes and glared at his friend. "I don't understand. Why can't you just...just..."

"What?" Mulligan demanded.

"Ugh! I don't know! Can't you just listen? Listen to me for once in awhile? Think about someone besides yourself for once—"

"Laf, I think about you every single damned day of my _life_! Isn't that enough?" He cried. The room went silent.

Lafayette was in shock. Did he really just say that? _Please tell me we didn't argue. Please tell me everything will be fine and that this didn't just fuck up our whole relationship..._

Mulligan's voice was cold when he muttered: "I have to go." He stood up and walked out of the classroom, despite Mr. Lee's protests, which were deaf to Laf's ears. The only thing he could hear was the kid's chants from long ago:

_"Different, different, different....Strange, alone..."_

Laf felt the tears come down his face when he realized his fears were coming true; the volcano had just erupted, leaving Laf's Pompeii heart to melt, soon nothing more will be left but ashes. He got up, ran out of the class, and walked the opposite direction of Mulligan.

-

Laf didn't know how Alex found him, but he did. Alas, Alex seemed to know his friends a little too well; sometimes he could swear that kid could read minds.

"Laf?" Alex whispered. "Laf, I know you're hiding behind the box of gym balls. I can help you, please, just come out." The last part sounded much more desperate.

"No," Laf muttered in a fragile voice, tears still streaming down his face.

Alex sighed. "Don't let me pull out the big guns."

Laf whimpered.

"I have..."

"Don't you dare."

"Croissants...."

"You insult me," Lafayette said, though croissants did sound good about now.

Alex sighed, knowing Laf was just as stubborn as he was. But he knew how to get him to speak.

Alex began to sing a song they both enjoyed, and although it was kind of silly, that song happened to be "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift, but he translated it to French. Laurens used to make fun of them for that, but the song somehow brought the two together, and ever since, they'd listen to it when they were feeling down.

Laf sighed. He and Alex have always loved converting English songs into French songs, and this happened to be his favorite example. He let out a soft breath and sang the song back to Alex, signaling that Alex could now sit next to him, which he did.

"Hey," Alex said gently, smiling. He hugged his friend and smoothed out his messy, black hair. Laf sobbed into Alex's chest, hugging back tightly.

"There, there, mon ami," he said. "I'm here now. I'm not leaving, I promise. Love you, Laf."

"Love you too..." Laf's muffled response echoed in Alex's mind. Alex smiled and, after a good five minutes, let go of Laf and gently held his friend's hands. "It's okay, I promise. Listen, people say stupid things sometimes. Take it from me, I'm like a walking stick of regret. Remember that time I called Mr. Washington daddy? Yeah..."

Laf smiled, grateful to have Alex around, though still sad. "But..." His smile faded. "We always argue. And...I don't like that. We're supposed to be loving friends that—"

"Shh, shh." Alex embraced Laf again. "Mulligan doesn't like to fight with you either. He's just scared, like you. He loves you, Laf. He really does. I can see it. He loves you, he loves you..."

_Different, different, different....strange—_

"You're not alone."

Laf sobbed, pulling Alex closer. Alex managed a small chuckle but began to tear up too.

"We're always gonna love you, Laf—Mulligan, Laurens and I. We're here for you, I promise."

"I know, it's just complicated..." Laf's voice failed him again, as he put his hands over his eyes, trying to hide himself from something that wasn't even there.

Alex gently pulled Laf's hands away. "I know, Laf—Laurens and I know. We see it. Everyday. We know it's tough. I'm sorry we didn't come to you then. But I swear we're here for you now. We'll get through this, and we'll get through this together."

Laf nodded, and he hugged Alex again.

"You said...you said Mulligan loved me?"

"He does. He'd die for you, Laf."

There was a pause.

"What's going through your mind?"

"That I'm different, strange...that I feel so alone. That I want Mulligan. No, I _need_ Mulligan. Alex, I need you too. And Laurens. I need...I need you guys."

Alex smiled. "You have us already. We will make you whole again, Laf. And, hey, we're all strange and weird. That's why we're all friends, right?"

Laf laughed—actually _laughed_ then. In fact, they spent the next few minutes having a fit of laughter, playfully shoving each other aside.

"Guys!" Laurens called, and the two boys turned.

"First, er, the gym teacher needs his room. Second...it's time to work this out." Alex smiled and took Laf's hand. "Ready to face the world?"

"Ready." 

**_omg screw me i thought of Girl Meets World because of the last few lines lmao_ **

**_this is an emotional rollercoaster gosh darn_ **


	7. Learn to Love Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oh look they make up
> 
> again im a sap so you're going to be reading lots of sappy ish w/ me

Alex and Laf walked over to join Laurens, both holding hands still. "Hey Laf," Laurens said gently in his usual friendly voice. "You okay?"

Laf gave Laurens a tight hug and Laurens almost fell backwards. "Woah, woah, mon ami—"

"I love you, Jack!"

"Pfft." Laurens smiled and ran his fingers through his friend's hair. "Love you too, you little lion."

Alex pouted half-heartedly. "I thought I was the little lion."

Laf laughed and held both of his friend's hands. "We can take turns," Laurens said, smiling at Alex. He smiled back, but turned serious again to ask: "Where's Mulligan?"

Laf smiled nervously and glanced down at his feet, resulting in Laurens holding his hand tighter. "Near the first set of lockers in the front of the school." He turned carefully towards Lafayette. "He really wants to see, Laf..."

Laf wiped another tear and glanced at Alex, who nodded.

"Come with m-me?"

"Of course, how is that even a damn question?" Alex laughed with no humor and led his friends to the hallway.

_What is this feeling? This is strange, different...it feels weird...I'm actually not alone._

_Unique, unique, diverse, surrounded..._ Those were his new words.

_-_

Sure enough, Mulligan waited, though Laurens had been mistaken; he was near the second set of lockers. Laf shivered. He thought he'd have more time to psyche himself up, but no, Mulligan was already so close that he had no use but to keep going now.

Mulligan looked distressed, anxiously walking around, stopping to look at his phone, tapping his foot impatiently while waiting, all with a worried look on his face—Perhaps even one of regret.

Laf stopped dead in his tracks, causing Laurens to bump into him with a faint whimper. It was soft, but Mulligan still heard and turned around, eyes first landing on Laf's.

Laf felt tears swelling up in his eyes, his heart breaking from fear and watching his friend so worked up, but also beating faster knowing that he was—quite literally—one step closer, though, honestly, he couldn't have felt any less than thousands of years away. 

  There was a moment of awkward silence, and only Laurens seemed to catch Mulligan's sad smile and blush as he peered at his best friend.

"Well..." Alex said softly. "I'll leave you guys to it. C'mon, John."

Laurens and Alex then slowly walked away, not trying to get in the way of their friend's moment, but close enough to where if something bad happened, they were there to help.

Laf opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out, and he started to feel helpless again—Not being able to search for the right words, which was something, he painfully remembered, he had trouble with constantly, even though he knew a lot of English words now. He shook his head in defeat, tried not to cry, and looked at the ground, clutching his arm to keep himself calm.

"L-Laf?" Mulligan asked. "Laf?"

No reply, just the choking sounds of someone holding back tears too hard.

"Lafayette..." Mulligan said, his voice breaking as much as he felt his heart was. He ran over to his best friend and hugged him gently, and Laf couldn't hold it in anymore. He sobbed uncontrollably into his friend's chest, hugging tighter until he couldn't feel any breath escaping his mouth.

"I'm sorry..." Mulligan managed to sputter out. "I really am, Laf. I didn't want to fight. I really didn't. And now I feel terrible, Laf—like the worst friend ever. I promised I wouldn't yell at you again, but it happened. I just....I love you. I really do, and you have every right to be upset, but—damn, I—"

"It's—it's okay. I forgive—"

"No, it's not, Laf. I'm not okay. _We're_ not okay! I thought we could make this work, but..." He shook his head. "You deserve someone better than me, someone who keeps their promises, someone who can treat you better....I let you down, mon ami, and I'm so..." He started to cry too.

Laf didn't remove his arms from Mulligan. "Mully, what do you want?"

"I want you to be safe and happy..."

"You want me," Laf whispered.

"Y-Yes, I do."

"Then..." Laf searched for all the words he could possibly say, but found none that could come out. "Then have me."

Mulligan stared at Laf—shocked—before smiling sadly. "I can't, Laf. Don't you understand, mon ami? I'm just going to hurt you again."

Laf grabbed his friend's hands. "I don't care anymore. I just...I want you, you want me, so let's be together! I'd rather live in a world with you where you keep doing this to me than a world where we don't have each other at all."

"I don't think you know what you're saying, Laf..."

"Yes I do," he said softly, closing his eyes and lifting his friend's chin up. He slowly opened his eyes once more, after taking a deep breath and smiled.

"Mulligan, listen to me. I'm always going to be by your side no matter what. You can't get rid of me that easily. You were there for me after all these years, and it's only right that I return the favor. I love you, and I'm going to prove it to you everyday until you see that."

"You love me, even after I just broke your heart?"

Laf smiled. "Duh. How could I ever stop loving you? It's impossible, really." He turned sad again. "Guess I didn't show it to you hard enough..."

"You did, I just..." He shrugged. "Honestly I can't see anything but..."

"Yeah?" Laf asked, his hands placed on his friend's cheek.

"Different...different...strange, alone..."

Laf's eyes widened, and he felt his heart speed up and stop all at the same time. Then the world became a blur as he closed the distance between he and his friend.

Honestly, there was so much Laf felt when they kissed that he couldn't even describe it. He felt the warmth of Mulligan's body, both of their hearts speeding up, the tension and shock before the passion and desperate hugging, both wrapping their arms around each other, eventually Laf gently slipping his hands around his friend's neck. The kiss was slow, and Laf dared himself to press his lips harder against Mulligan's, the taste forever being in his mind. It lasted for a good half a minute or so, before Laf pulled away to breathe.

Laf felt tears coming down his face. "Heh, well...Sorry...." His voice broke.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I—um, is this even right? Mulligan, as much as I hate to say it, but...I forgot what love is. Or, maybe it's more of how I'm going to continue... _us_. What if I can't love again?"

Mulligan softly caressed his friend's cheek and kissed him, much more softly. "We can, trust me. I'll teach you, if you want me to..."

"Yes, I would like that." Laf smiled.

He leaned his forehead against Laf's. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mully. I really do. And I forgive both of us, you know?"

"Same here." They hugged again and Alex and Laurens made their way over, close to tears and joining the hug.

"Idiots," Alex said, being the first to cry.

"We love you," Laurens said.

Laf and Mulligan laughed, pulling closer into the group hug. "We love you idiots too," Laf said. He turned to Mulligan. "Je t'aime, stupide."

Mulligan smiled, and felt himself happy once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL THAT WAS....
> 
> SOMETHING
> 
> V EMOTIONAL
> 
> FOR ME ANYWAYS
> 
> Hoped you like this and um I'll try to do more Mullette ish in the future but just be patient :3
> 
> and if this was confusing
> 
> sorry
> 
> now im going to try to work on more fanfics before i die for writing all of this in such little time heh goodbye people <3
> 
> PS how these teens do this ish during school i have no idea just go w/ it

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for any mistakes, I try to look through everything before I post, but there's still probably a few minor things ^^


End file.
